UNIVERSITY RECEIVES DRUG PREVENTION GRANT

Southeast Missouri State University has been awarded a $29,146 federal grant to launch a "Bootheel Consortium for Substance Abuse Prevention and Education."

Southeast officials said the consortium will be headquartered in the Harry L. Crisp Bootheel Education Center at Malden. Natalie Ricks of Cape Girardeau has been hired as the consortium's part-time coordinator.

The U.S. Department of Education grant took effect Oct. 1 and will run through December 1995.

The grant will be used to organize monthly meetings involving representatives from Southeast Missouri State University, Three Rivers Community College and the Bootheel Education Center.

Law enforcement officers and officials from area vocational-technical schools, the Division of Family Services and other agencies may also participate, university officials said.

Phyllis Schnell, substance abuse prevention and education coordinator at Southeast, said the consortium will provide a forum for higher education officials to discuss successful drug abuse prevention programs being implemented on their campuses.